The present invention relates to wagering games and more particularly to slot machine and video-poker types of wagering games.
Wagering games and methods therefor concerning slot machines and video poker machines are played by a growing population of gamblers for fun and enjoyment. A slot machine, as distinguished herein from a video poker machine (often slot machines and video poker machines are collectively referred to as xe2x80x9cslotsxe2x80x9d), do not provide the player with any choices or options other than the amount to be wagered. An example is a common, electromechanical, three-reel slot machine. This machine includes three reels each having thereon a plurality of stops each having associated therewith a xe2x80x9cblankxe2x80x9d or a symbol. The player makes their elected wager and initiates play. Upon initiation, a drive unit spins the reels which eventually come to a stop. The symbols or blanks aligned along one or more paylines defines the outcome(s) for the play of that spin, sometimes referred to as the xe2x80x9chandxe2x80x9d. The spinning reels either mechanically randomly select the outcome or, under the control of a processor, the outcome is randomly selected and displayed by the reels. The selected outcome is compared to a predetermined schedule of winning outcomes, e.g. bar-bar-bar symbols. If the outcome is a winning outcome, the player is paid based upon their wager. If the outcome is a losing wager the player loses their wager.
Modernly, the electromechanical slot machines are becoming replaced by processor controlled slot machines. These machines include a video display terminal (VDT) which displays the various action during the play of the game. The player makes their chosen wager, constrained by the minimum and maximum wager for the machine, and initiates play. Upon initiation, the processor randomly selects, from data stored in memory, symbols and blanks defining the outcome for the hand. The display is driven by the processor to simulate spinning reels which slow and stop to replicate the processor selected outcome. If the outcome is a winning outcome, the player is paid. If the outcome is a losing outcome, the player""s wager is lost and is retained by the machine.
In either version of the slot machine, the player""s only choice is the amount of the wager. Thereafter the ultimate outcome is out of the player""s hands. Some gaming jurisdictions only permit non-decisional gaming machines such as slot machines.
Video poker provides the player which some decisions which affect the ultimate outcome. As such, a skilled player has an advantage over an unskilled player in that the skilled player will play the machine such that the outcomes obtained more closely match mathematical probabilities and payoff frequencies for the machine. A poor player can make poor decisions affecting the payoff frequency obtained by the player. Because decisions are involved, some gaming jurisdictions do not permit such machines to be played.
A video poker machine includes a VDT and a processor which operates the various features of the machine. As is known, a player inputs a selected wager and prompts the machine. The processor selects from data stored in memory representing each card of a deck of cards, e.g. the fifty-two cards of a standard deck of cards, data representing five cards which are displayed as a five card hand at the VDT. The player opts to discard some or none of the initial cards and prompts a xe2x80x9cdrawxe2x80x9d. The xe2x80x9cdrawxe2x80x9d prompts the processor to display replacement cards for the discarded cards, if any, to obtain a final outcome of a final five card poker hand for the game. This final hand is compared to a schedule of hand card combinations to determine if the player has obtained a winning outcome. Winning outcomes are paid based upon the player""s wager and losing outcomes are lost and are retained by the machine.
A drawback of the prior art slot machines is that typically the player has only one opportunity to obtain the best outcome they can. There is no opportunity for a player of a multiple payline slot machine to move symbols from one payline to another to increase their payoff. In video poker, there is no opportunity for a player to exchange cards between displayed first and second five card hands to likewise increase their payoff. It would be desirable to provide a game which, from an initial display of two hands, symbols could be exchanged between the hands to increase the player""s reward.
There is, therefore, set forth according to the present invention a gaming device and method which can provide the player with opportunities to increase their reward by exchanging indicia between separately displayed hands.
Toward this end the method includes selecting indicia such as representations of playing cards and presenting them as a first hand and a second hand to a player. Certain hand indicia combinations are designated as winning outcomes with the remainder designated as losing outcomes. Upon viewing the first and second hands the player opts to rearrange the hands by exchanging one or more indicia between the hands attempting to obtain at least one winning outcome or to better their outcome(s) for the hands. If one or both of the hands comprises a winning outcome combinations of indicia, the player is rewarded. Otherwise, the player loses.
In a preferred embodiment the indicia are representations of playing cards. The player makes a wager and two, separate, five card hands are displayed. If one of the hands has a qualifying holding of cards, e.g. a pair of 7""s or better, the player is given the option to exchange cards between the two hands to increase their expected reward. For example, where the reward is based upon the ranking of hands according to the rules of Poker, the player may opt to move cards to increase the Poker ranking of one or both of the hands to increase their reward. After the player has exercised their option, the final hands are compared to a schedule of winning outcome hands and, if either or both of the hands represent winning outcomes, the player is rewarded based upon the ranking of the hands.
As an example, the initial hands displayed may be:
Since one of the hands has a qualifying holding (three Queens), the player is given the option to exchange cards between the two hands. The recommended play would be for the player to exchange the 2 (Spades) with the Queen (Spades) to obtain for Hand 1 a Four-of-a-Kind and for Hand 2 a Spade flush. This would maximize the player""s reward since the rankings of both hands have been increased.
The device according to the present invention includes means for the player to register a wager to play the game. A processor is provided which has a first data structure representing a plurality of indicia such as, in the preferred embodiment, data representing each card of a deck of cards. A display is adapted to display the hands for the play of the game. The processor is configured to select from the first data structure and display a plurality of indicia as an initial first and a second hand. Where the indicia are playing cards, the processor randomly selects and displays initial first and second hands of five cards each representing Stud Poker hands. A second data structure is provided which includes data representing winning outcome combinations of indicia for a hand. The processor is adapted to compare the indicia combinations of the initial first and second hands to the combinations of the second data structure to determine if at least one of the initial first and second hands has a predetermined combination. If the processor determines that a predetermined combination exists, means are provided to enable the player to exchange indicia between said initial first and second hands to form final hand combinations of indicia. The processor is further adapted to compare the final hand combinations to the combinations of outcomes of said second data structure and, based upon the outcomes, reward the player based upon the outcome combinations of indicia of the final hands.
In a further embodiment of the method, the player is not given any decision as to whether or not to exchange indicia between the displayed hands. According to this embodiment if one or both of the displayed first and second hands of indicia have a predetermined holding, the processor is adapted to automatically exchange indicia to maximize the reward paid to the player for the game.
As can be appreciated, the method and device of the present invention provides in one aspect, the player with an option to move indicia, e.g. representations of playing cards, between two hands to maximize the ultimate reward to be received by the player. In another embodiment, the exchange occurs without any decisional input by the player. Thus, where the player has decisional input, the player can exercise certain strategies to maximize their reward. Further, in either embodiment, the combinations of both hands can create situations where large jackpots can be offered such as in the rare occasion that the player obtains two Royal Flushes, two Four-of-a-Kinds or the like. The offering of large jackpots provides excitement from the player""s perspective and, from the casino""s perspective, is an enticement for players to play the game.